Arch supporter and exerciser



Jan. 5, 1937. v c. D. ADAMS 2,065,443

' ARCH SUPPORTEfi AND EXERCISER Filed Feb. 25, 1956 nventor (lttornegPatented Jan- 9 7 UNITED STATES VATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to an arch support and. exerciser and, moreparticularly, comprehends a device for providing a support for theanterior metatarsal or the forepart of the foot.

One of the primary objects of the invention is to provide an articleadapted to be applied to the toes of a foot in such a manner thatpinching of the nerves, due to a fallen condition of the anteriormetatarsal arch, known as metatarsalgia or Mortons toe, is relieved.

Another object of the invention is to provide an article which may bealternately gripped and released by the toes, whereby to exercise andstrengthen the foot, particularly the metatarsal and longitudinal archesand ankle.

Another object is to provide an article which is highly efiicient forthe above purposes, and which is extremely simple in construction andinexpensive in manufacture.

Other and further objects will be apparent from the following detaileddescription and the accompanying drawing, wherein a preferred embodimentof the principles of the present invention has been selected forexemplification.

Figure 1 is a side view of a support constructed in accordance with thepresent invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the support as applied to the human foot.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2, 30 looking forwardly ofthe foot.

Figure 4 is a section of the device taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a top view.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein like charactersrefer to like parts, the support or exerciser shown therein comprises aring or eye It] having an arm l2 tangentially extending therefromangularly with respect to the plane of the eye, which arm has anextremity l4 angularly extending or curved toward the eye side of thearm, as best shown in Figures 2 and 5. As clearly shown in Figures 2 and3, the eye Ill of the device is adapted to receive the big or first toeof the foot, the arm l2 to extend beneath the second, third and fourthtoes and the curved extremity M to lie above the fifth toe extendingrearwardly of the toe. More specifically, the respective positions ofthe various parts permit the extremities l and M to extend over ornearly over the first and fifth metatarsal heads and the arm [2 toextend beneath the toes directly in front of the second, third andfourth metatarsal heads.

The support and exerciser herein illustrated and above described isadapted for use with a right foot and it is obvious that a support forthe left foot will be merely oppositely contoured; that is, positions ofeye In and extremity It with respect to the arm l2 will be reversed.

The device may be formed of any suitable material, which is preferablyfairly rigid, but which may have a slight spring thereto, and in asuggested construction, as shown in Figure 4, the device may be formedof relatively heaw wire l6 having a covering l8 therefor of fabric,leather, rubber or like material for comfortable contact with the foot.Preferably the material should permit of slight relative angularadjustments of the various toe engaging elements to suit varying shapesof the individual foot to provide a snug fit and obviously the devicemay be produced in various general sizes.

The device of the present invention is primarily adapted to be wornafter the shoe is removed and when applied to the human foot, as bestshown in Figure 3, it operates to depress the first and fifth metatarsalheads and to lift the second, third and fourth metatarsal heads. In thismanner, it is adapted to restore the fallen arch to normal position andrelieve pain caused by pinching of the nerves of the anterior metatarsalarch or forepart of the foot, particularly between the third and fourth,and fourth and fifth metatarsal heads where nerve impingement is mostpainful.

The device herein described may also be used as an exerciser, to stretchthe muscles and strengthen the entire foot, particularly the metatarsaland longitudinal arches, by merely alternately gripping and releasingthe device by the toes.

While it is believed that from the foregoing description the nature andadvantages of the invention may be readily understood, I do not limitmyself to what is herein illustrated and described and it is understoodthe principles of the present invention embrace such modified structuresas fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising an arm having aportion thereof adapted to force the second, third and fourth metatarsalheads upwardly; and'another portion thereof adapted to force the firstand fifth metatarsal heads downwardly, said arm carrying means forsecuring it to the foot.

2. An arch support and exerciser comprising in combination, an armadapted to extend beneath the second, third and. fourth toes in front ofthesecond, third and fourth metatarsal heads of a foot, said arm havingcurved extremities adapted to substantially overlie the first and fifthmetatarsal heads, one of said extremities being further adapted tosecure the arm in position.

3. An arch support and exerciser comprising in combination, an eye, anarm extending tangentially from the eye and out of the plane thereof,the extremity of said arm being curved 10 towardthe eye side of the arm.

4. An arch support and exerciser comprising Vendthereof for.encirclingone of the toes.,

CHESTER D. ADAMS.

